Kitchen
This house is intended as a gathering place for family and friends, holidays, parties, and long weekends…so that means lots of hosting and LOTS of cooking! Originally I had a very different idea for this kitchen and I was so excited about it I really didn’t try other configurations, so I have to give a big shout out to Cabinet Designers on this one; I told them when I started working with them that I wanted their thoughts as much as I liked my layout, and I’m so happy they listened to me! I think their layout works better than mine…its a great lesson humility and open mindedness, if I just wanted what I wanted we wouldn’t have maximized the space to its fullest potential, but because I have always believed in ‘the best design for the space wins’ I knew the moment I saw their layout that THIS was the right one for the space.
The walnut and black cabs with aged brass hardware was the vision from the onset, so I knew I wanted to utilize GE’s Cafe line, as their matte black appliances look great, and function just as well…and if you didn’t know: Cafe allows you to customize your handle finish from a selection of 4 different finishes, and while they don’t have a proper aged brass, their aged bronze finish matched my hardware selects perfectly.
PRO TIP: metal finishes can vary greatly between manufacturers so always get samples before you commit. I got sample hardware and a sample kit of finishes from Cafe to ensure the finished product would be perfect.
With low ceilings I opted for no upper cabinets, as it would make the space feel very claustrophobic. Instead we wanted to really accentuate the backsplash. I landed on this gorgeous green subway and did a custom mix…its 70% gloss and 30% matte of the same color way. This is a great way to create visual interest and a sense of movement while not introducing additional colors or pattern into the mix.